Automatic clutching or starting device



Dec. 30, 1924- 4 1,521,421

C. BERGMANN, JR I AUTOMATIC CLUTCHING 0R STARTING DEVICE Filed Oct. 11, 1921 F .IQI

' ing the starting motor Patented Dec. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES CARL BERGMANN, JRJ, OF WEST HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALE TO WILLARD W. SILVERNAIL, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

AUTOMATIC CLUTCHING OR STARTING DEVICE.

Application filed October 11, 1921.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, CARL BnReMANN, Jr., a citizen of the United States of America, residing in \Vest Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Clutching or Starting Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic clutching or starting devices, especially such as are used in connection with internal combustion engines, and aims to provide improvements therein. I

The present invention provides a device which is of an improved nature as regards a resilient and easy action in starting, and it further provides a simple, efficient and cheaply manufactured device.

' An embodiment of the invention-is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, where- Figure 1 is a view of said embodiment principally in vertical section, and showing so much of a starting motor and of an engine as is necessary tounderstand the invention. j I

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showgeared with, or clutched to, the internal combustion engine.

Referring to said drawing, numeral l designates a driving shaft, the said driving shaft being conveniently a prolongation of the rotor shaft of an electric motor 2. Numeral 3 designates the part which is driven by the starting device, as for example, the fly wheel of the engine, provided with gear teeth on its periphery.

A gear 5, on the shaft 1 is provided for engaging the part or gear 3, the arrangement of the parts being such that an automatic engagement and disengagement of the starting .motor 2 and the engine part 3 may be effected through the driving part or gear 5. To this end, interengaging threads 6, 7, are provided on the shaft 1 and the driving gear 5.

When the motor 2 is energized and the driving shaft 1 is rotated, the threads 7 thereon turn in the threads 6 of the gear 5, owing to the inertia of the said gear 5, and the-said-gear 5 is drawn of fedtoward and into engagement with the driven gear 3. Suitable meansgjas a shoulder or stop Serial No. 507,027.

9, is provided for limiting the movement of the driving gear 5 along the shaft 1 after said driving gear 5 has become fully engaged with the driven gear 3. 7

Suitable means, as a coil spring 11, may be provided for retarding, or effecting a drag upon, the rotation of the driving gear 5, while the said gear is being moved or fed into engagement with the gear 3, thus acting similarlv to the inerita of said driving gear 5. This spring 11 is preferably of a length, when extended, to not bear upon the gear 5 in its positive engagement into the gear 3.

When the intern-a1 combustion engine starts, and the by the engine, the peripheral speed of the said gear 3 will exceed that of the driving gear 5, the consequence of which will be that the gear 5 will be turned relatively to the driving shaft 1, and fed or carried by the threads 6 and 7 out of engagement with the said driven gear 3. A shoulder 13 may be provided on the driving shaft 1 for limiting the movement of the driving gear 5 out of engagement with the driven gear 3. After the internal combustion engine has been started the starting motor 2 is ordinarily de-energized, leaving the driving gear 5 out of engagement with the driven gear 3, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

' Means are preferably provided for cushioning the application of the driving force of the starting motor 2 to the driven gear 3, through the said gear 5. For this purpose the driving shaft 1 is conveniently made in two sections 15, 16. These sections are keyed so as to turn'together, and also to permit longitudinal movement of the section 16, as indicated at 17 One end of the shaft 16 conveniently has bearing in a socket, 18 in the shaft section 15, and the other end conveniently has bearing in an outboard bearing 19. A spring or the like 21, is provided and arranged to bear upon the shaft section 16 in such manner as to oppose longitudinal movement thereof. Conveniently the spring 21 is housed withing a socket in the bearing 19, and bears upon the end 23 of said shaft section 16 through a ball 24, for reducing friction. A spring 25 may be provided in the socket 18, for bearing upon the opposite end 26 of the shaft section 16. This latter spring in con driven gear 3 becomes driven plained, thecontinued rotation of the shaft I ing through the .sion of the spring junction with spring 21 serves to hold the shaft section16 firm, and prevent rattling of said shaft section.

Vhen' the driving gear is fed or carried agamst the shoulder 9, following the starting of the startlng motor 2,-asheretofore eX- 1 will turn the shaft section 16 in the said 5, thereby moving the shaft section 16 longitudinally and compressing the spring 21. The spring 21 will be continued to be compressed untilits reaction is sufficient to press the driving gear 5 against the shoulder 9 tightly enough to overcome the resistance 'of the'automobile engine actgear 3 on the said driving gear '5. 'Thereupon the driving gear 5 will turnthe gear-3, and start the internal combustion engine. When the internal comb-ustion engine is started, the gear 3 running with greater, peripheral speed than the gear 5 will turn the driving gear 5 on the said shaft sect-ion116, the first turning of the said gear 5 allowing the shaft section 16. to be moved by the spring 21 longitudinally in the direction of the socket 18, and after the .ten-

springs 21 and come into equilibrium, the further, rotation of the gear 8 Wlll carry the gear 5 along the shaft section16 and out .of

engagement with the said gear 3. r

V In theevent that the gear 5 strikes'th end of a tooth on the gear 8, in movinginto engagement, the shaft section 16 will be moved longitudinally against the tension of thespring 21 and when the spring reacts through the shaft :section 16 with sufficient a driving-gear on-saidaxially movable shaft, section, said axially movable shaft 1 section ing adaptedt-o Ifee'd forceon the gear 5., the said gear will turn,

thereby bringing the teeth of the gears 5 and 8 into engagement. Shock; and excessive pressure :will thereby :be avoided when .:a tooth on thegear '5 strikes the end of a tooth on the gear 3 when saidgears are moving into engagement.

Theinvention may receive other ments than that herein ed and described'. 1

hat-I claim is:

specifically illustrat comprising adriving :shaft,.in two alined sections, I one of said shaft sect-ions being supported at one endnpon and movable; axially toward and from the :other, means supporting =said axially'movable shaft section at its other end independentlyof said; shaft,

and gear having, a threaded connection, and

adriven-gear of an-engine or the like .to be started, said driving shaft, when; rotated, bee-V sai-ddriving gear into eng'agementwith said driven gear, and said driven gear, when'rotated, havinga peripheral speed whi-clrtu-rns saidcdriving'gear faster than said shaft on whichit is mount- 7 of said driving comprising a driving-shaft, in two alined at its other.

21 is relaxed, orthe Y I gagement 1. An:automatic clutch or. starting device ed, whereby saiddriving gear is fed along saidshaft and out of engagement with said driven gear,-a stop, adapted to limit; the feed gear on said shaft int-o en-, gagement with said driven gear, I and a spring adapted toreceive: the axial thrust of said "axially movablefshaft section aftersaid gear ,comesjinto contact with said stop.

2. An automatic'clut'ch or starting device sections, one of said shaft sections being supported at one end upon and;-movable' aX- ially toward and-from the iother, means supporting said aX-iallmovable shaft section end independently of saidshaft, a drivin-ggear on said; axially movable shaft section, said axiallygmova-ble shaft section and, gear having a threaded connection, and a a driven; gear-of, an engine orlthe like to-be started, said driving shaft, when rotated, beingqadap-tedto feed said drivinggear into 7 engagement; with-said driven vgear, and said driven gear, when rotated, 1 having ;a peripheral speed ;which turns said driving gear faster than said shaft on'which" it. is mounted,, wherebysai.d driving gear is fed along: said shaft andvout of engagement with said driven gear, a stop adapted to limit thefeed ofsaid driving'gear: on said-shaft into enga'gement with said spring adapted to receive theaxial thrust of saidax ial ly movable shaft sectionafter said 7 gear comes into contact with said stop, said spring being in line with section. V 1 f 3. An automatic clutch or starting device comprising a dfri vingsh-af-t, a {driving gear thereon, interengaging threads between said said alined shaft 7 shaft and gear, and-a driven, gear :of an e11 7 glneor thelrke-to be started,.-said driving 105' acting in opposite directions -'nponsaid 120.

shaft, 1 one 1 of said; springs acting as 7 part Of-Stlld'CUShIOIIIHgmBBJJS. 1

comprising-a driving shaft,= :a driving 4:. An automatic clutch or starting d'evijce sha t and gear, --idr1ven gear-of:an engine or the'ilike to ibe started, said .7 driving shaft, -when rotated, being adapted to feed saiddriving gear into engagement with thereon, interengaging threads'betweonsaid 5 saiddriven gea-r,an d said drivengeanavhen 130 drivengear, and a gearfaster thansaid-shaft-on shaft into engagement with 1151' rotated, having a peripheral speed which turns said driving gear faster than said shaft on which it is mounted, whereby said driving gear is fed along said shaft and out of engagement with said driven gear, a stop adapted to limit the feed of said driving gear on said shaft into engagement with said driven gear, and means adapted to cushion the shock with which said driving gear strikes said stop, said shaft having a longitudinally-movable section, bearings for said shaft section, one being upon said shaft, sockets in said bearings and springs in said sockets bearing against the ends of said shaft sections, one of said springs comprising a part of said cushioning means.

5. An automatic clutch or starting device, comprising a driving shaft, in two sections, one section being axially movable toward and from the other, a driving gear having threaded engagement with said axially movable shaft section and movable axially thereon, and a driven gear on an engine or the like to be started, said driving shaft, when rotated, being adapted to feed said driving gear into en 'agement with said driven gear, and said driven gear, when rotated, having a peripheral speed which turns said driving gear faster than said shaft on which it is mounted, whereby said driving gear is fed along said shaft and out of engagei'nent with said driven gear, a stop adapted to limit the feed of said driving gear on said shaft into engagement with said driven gear, and a spring between said axially movable shaft section and a part independently of said shaft, adapted to receive the thrust of said axially movable shaft section after said gear comes into contact with said. stop.

6. An automatic'clutch or st rting device, comprising a driving shaft, in two sections, one section being axially movable toward and from the other, a driving gear having threaded engagement with said axially movable shaft section and movable axially thereon, means supporting said axially movable shaft section at both ends, the means at the outer end being independent of said shaft, and a driven gear of an engine or the like to be started, said driving shaft, when rotated, being adapted to feed said driving gear into engagement with said driven gear, and said driven gear, when rotated, having a peripheral speed which turns said driving gear faster than said shaft on which it is mounted, whereby said driving gear is fed along said shaft and out of engagement with said driven gear, a stop adapted to limit the feed of said driving gear on said shaft into engagement with said driven gear, and a spring adapted to receive the thrust of said axially movable shaft section after said gear comes into contact with said stop. In witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

CARL BERGMANN, J R. 

